British Comedy

[Reply #160 on:]

Woo, cool, Spaced fans.

That's my favourite show ever    .
Apparently they're going to start writing the 3rd series in March, I can't wait for it.
 This  is a good spaced site.

TOTPD A-Team dance.
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Original Stuff

*Edited because previously it didn't make sense. Also changed the address.

[Reply #161 on:]

Yeah, I love it.  It's so well written and all of the homages (if you watch the S2 DVD there's a homage-o-meter which lists all of the references) are all carefully put in.

In the first three minutes of episode 1 of S2:

Manhatten
Goodfellas
Apocalypse Now
Platoon
The Matrix
Return Of The Jedi

...are all referenced.

Did you know:  The guy who played Dwayne, is the voice of Darth Maul?  Fantastic.

I love the character of Brian, makes me cry laughing everytime he's on.

[Reply #162 on:]

Yeah, it was on the commentary wasn't it?   . He's a cool character. I love the "Hi Dom (Tom? - whoever), this is Duane Benzie" bit, it's so cool. Dammit anything he says is cool.

You know, most of the homages pass me by, for example Ive only seen two of the above films, but the show is still very clever and funny to me.

By the way that address is www.spaced-out.org.uk

[Reply #163 on:]

 

Originally posted by Melllvar:
Did you know: The guy who played Dwayne, is the voice of Darth Maul? Fantastic.

That'd be Peter Serafinowicz.
But Ray Park kicks more ass, he was Toad in X-Men too.

[Reply #164 on:]

Have any of you guys ever seen or heard of an old (I think its 70's) program called 'Are you being served'?
Apparently it was well know back in the day and theres an actor in there called 'John Inman' and I accidentally ended up speaking to him on the phone the other day 

People at my work were making quite a fuss and I have no idea who he was. Aah well. He asked me if I'd ever heard of him and that he used to be on a TV show in the 70's. I just replied:
'I'm sorry, I'm afraid I wasn't even born in the 70's, I wasn't born till the 80's' 

[Reply #165 on:]

I've heard of it GM, John Inman played a particularly camp character in the menswear department. Most of the jokes were fairly lame double entendres as I recall.

[Reply #166 on:]

I heard about it, that 's all...
It 's been on the national tv station. It looked too old, and too lame for me to watch.

[Reply #167 on:]

Oh woah thats cool that you've heard of it too Tweek   
And thats cool that you've heard of it too ZJ. I've heard of it but never ever watched it myself. I agree, it looks too lame 

Yeah he actually sounded camp on the phone. I actually thought he was a woman at first and when he said his name was 'John' I had to ask him a few times. I said
'I'm sorry, did you say your name was John?
And he said
'Yep'
So I said
'So its not Jean, its John'
And he replied
'John, yeah'
So I said
'I hope you dont find this offensive but I thought John was a male name'
And he replied
'Yes..its is!'
To which I went rather red and moved swiftly on hoping I hadn't offended him   

Thats just like me to offend a famous preson, they get no special treatment off me I'll tells ya   

[Reply #168 on:]

 

Originally posted by ghoulishmoose:
People at my work were making quite a fuss and I have no idea who he was. Aah well. He asked me if I'd ever heard of him and that he used to be on a TV show in the 70's. I just replied:
'I'm sorry, I'm afraid I wasn't even born in the 70's, I wasn't born till the 80's'   

Neither was I, but I'm still well aware of the show. It's been repeated enough!

Next you'll be saying you didn't know Pauline Fowler from EastEnders was in it.

[Reply #169 on:]

 

Originally posted by BarneyBurnham:
 Neither was I, but I'm still well aware of the show. It's been repeated enough!

Next you'll be saying you didn't know Pauline Fowler from EastEnders was in it.

I'd heard of the show but just never seen it thats all.
And I didn't know that Pauline Fowler was in it actually..until my mum told me that is 

[Reply #170 on:]

It also spawned the appauling spin-off, "Grace And Favour" in the 90's.  Terrible.

[Reply #171 on:]

'Would anyone like to see my pussy?'
*followed by awful canned laughter*
I can't stand 'are you being served'. They used this joke every five minutes in every single show. Good grief!

[Reply #172 on:]

Oh I know what "Are you being served?" is. They usually show it on sundays after Eastenders. I've watched it quite a few times.

[Reply #173 on:]

Yeah, and that John guy was one of the more famous characters. What job do you work at GM, and what did John want?

  Poor guy, you thought he was a woman.

[Reply #174 on:]

 

Originally posted by ghoulishmoose:
 I'd heard of the show but just never seen it thats all.

You're really not missing much. It was usually total crap, but Trevor Bannister was quite good.

[Reply #175 on:]

What was HIGNFY like last night? I recorded it, and then recorded over it!

[Reply #176 on:]

The case for "Are You Being Served" and/or "Grace And Favour" goes as follows (which is a piece of David Baddiel stand-up I remember):

 

The BBC made a fundamental mistake with Grace And Favour which has to do with the history of language.  In the 1970's when "Are You Being Served" was shown, no-one swore on TV, so the word "Pussy" just meant "Cat" with perhaps a slight undercurrent of "Vagina".  When "Grace And Favour" was shown in the 1990's, everyone swore on TV, so now, the word "Pussy" just means "Vagina", with perhaps a slight undercurrent of "Cat".

So, when Mrs Slocum says, "Excuse me, Captain Peacock but my pussy's got all wet", it doesn't sound like innuendo, it sounds incredibly rude.

It's what I thought of when this started.

[Reply #177 on:]

Another old show, Some Mother's Do Have Em.
Much better though, more innocent but still occasionally full of innuendo.

[Reply #178 on:]

 

Originally posted by Impossible:
What was HIGNFY like last night? I recorded it, and then recorded over it!

It's repeated tonight. Be more careful this time.

[Reply #179 on:]

I recorded 'Midnight Cowboy' over it. Good film.

[Reply #180 on:]

Talking about Are You Being Served, it seems recurrant that a line of British comedy during the last few decades had to have a token gay man, but funnily enough most of the best British comedies in the last few decades, have been without them, although some have had homosexual undertones or jokes.

If I had to choose a favourite "gay" character, then it would definitley by Lt. Grüber of 'Allo 'Allo. 'Allo 'Allo is either hilariously funny, or hilariously unfunny depending on the viewer (personally it's a particular favourite of mine  ) but regardless, Grüber is a great character with much better developed lines than many other token gays and also Guy "FOR THE GREATER GLORY OF THE EMPIRE, DESTROY EVERYTHING!" Siner is fantastic 

[Reply #181 on:]

And he was in Seinfeld once! I agree, Allo Allo is great.

[Reply #182 on:]

He's also in Jedi Knight II
*nods to ~FazeShift~* 

[Reply #183 on:]

Is there no end to this man's talents?

[Reply #184 on:]

Does that constable in The Thin Blue Line count? He was vefy very camp, but seemingly not gay, since he kept going after one of the female constables (with no success!). The Thin blue Line was such a funny comdy. Shame it ended after only a couple of series.

[Reply #185 on:]

   

Originally posted by Melllvar:
The case for "Are You Being Served" and/or "Grace And Favour" goes as follows (which is a piece of David Baddiel stand-up I remember)It's what I thought of when this started.

I remember that quote. In fact, I used to absolutely love David Baddiel - and Rob Newman (his comedy partner previous to Frank Skinner). Does anyone remember (and love) Newman and Baddiel in pieces - and even better (with Punt and Dennis) - the Mary Whitehouse show? In fact, even BETTER than that, does anyone have the first series of the mary whitehouse show on video? I only ended up taping the second series, and I've regretted it ever since. Those shows are absolute classic, possibly the best TV I've ever seen. (apart from Blackadder, of course)

[Reply #186 on:]

 

Originally posted by Archie2K:
Does that constable in The Thin Blue Line count? He was vefy very camp, but seemingly not gay, since he kept going after one of the female constables (with no success!). The Thin blue Line was such a funny comdy. Shame it ended after only a couple of series.

I think this was deliberate, as Ben Elton was paying homage to 70 sitcoms like Are you being served & It ain't half hot mum.  If you only make a couple of series, people remember it fondly - Goody was a great character and it's good to see that James Dreyfuss has done loads of other stuff (Gimme Gimme Gimme, Notting Hill)

[Reply #187 on:]

 

Originally posted by MelBee:
   I remember that quote. In fact, I used to absolutely love David Baddiel - and Rob Newman (his comedy partner previous to Frank Skinner). Does anyone remember (and love) Newman and Baddiel in pieces - and even better (with Punt and Dennis) - the Mary Whitehouse show? In fact, even BETTER than that, does anyone have the first series of the mary whitehouse show on video? I only ended up taping the second series, and I've regretted it ever since. Those shows are absolute classic, possibly the best TV I've ever seen. (apart from Blackadder, of course)

Oh wow, Baddiel is still my favourite comedian.  I went to see Newman & Baddiel, and I've seen David Baddiel when he toured on his own on the "Too Much Information" tour.  I'm a big fan ( ^ that quote is verbatim and from memory).

I have the only series of Newman & Baddiel In Pieces on video (taped from TV), I don't have any of the Mary Whitehouse Experience (however, Dadbot's got some of the Radio 1 shows on tape).

Baddiel's book "Time For Bed" is very good also.

[Reply #188 on:]

Newman as jarvis:
 " now, i dont want to come over all prince charles ..[thinks]..oh no, that would be terrible, all over his navy uniform ...[looks at a homeless heap on the floor] ... oh, so your girl"
If you have never seen that sketch you wont know what im on about, but it was very good, as where all the jarvis scenes.

[Reply #189 on:]

BBC2 are showing The Office series 1 & 2, so I started to watch it last night. Very funny 

[Reply #190 on:]

Gaah, missed. Ahh well, Im asking for the DVD set for X-mas.

Have I got News for You wasnt that bad with Jeremy Clarkson, he seemed to be one of the better presenters.

[Reply #191 on:]

He. Definitly. Started. Off. Reading. From. The. Telepompter. But he improved and was great otherwise. 

[Reply #192 on:]

 

Originally posted by Zed85:
He's also in Jedi Knight II
*nods to ~FazeShift~* 

Who?
Lt. Gruber? Yeah, he's basically ALL the Commander's!

 

[Reply #193 on:]

 

Originally posted by dadbot:
I think this was deliberate, as Ben Elton was paying homage to 70 sitcoms like Are you being served & It ain't half hot mum.  If you only make a couple of series, people remember it fondly - Goody was a great character and it's good to see that James Dreyfuss has done loads of other stuff (Gimme Gimme Gimme, Notting Hill)

I thought it was actually because 'The Thin Blue Line' was a bit of a flop, and is crap compared to everything else Ben Elton has ever done...

[Reply #194 on:]

 

Originally posted by ~FazeShift~:
 

Originally posted by Zed85:
He's also in Jedi Knight II
*nods to ~FazeShift~*   

Who?
Lt. Gruber? Yeah, he's basically ALL the Commander's!
 http://randomblob.netfirms.com/comm.jpg
 

 
I just imagine turning round a corner, and having an officer say
"umm, I say... [extremely high pitch]halt!(?)"

 

Probably most favourite bit of 'Allo 'Allo is where Rene and "It is I," LeClerc gas the officer's mess to flush out Gruber and steal some documents, dressed as firemen. Only Edith gases the wrong room and Rene smashes through the window, takes off his gas mask, only to find Gruber still there.

Gruber:Rene! How nice of you to drop in!
*LeClerc smashes through the window*
Gruber: And you brought a friend! What's your name?
*LeClerc lifts his glasses from over his gasmask, which he is still wearing*
LeClerc: Bith iz I, LeClerthz!

 

[Reply #195 on:]

 

Originally posted by Mitsui:
Gaah, missed. Ahh well, Im asking for the DVD set for X-mas.

Have I got News for You wasnt that bad with Jeremy Clarkson, he seemed to be one of the better presenters.

No, missed it!
Tries to remember what he did on Friday night

[Reply #196 on:]

Oh man, I gotta add Allo' Allo' to my DVD's Most Wanted list.

Amazon says there's only 2 season's, is that right?

[Reply #197 on:]

I think there were 9 or so. The earlier are probably the best, if for any reason in particular Jack Haig (original LeClerc) is still alive. A lot of characters changed over the period though. Still, there are great episodes from all the series, so you shouldn't be too disappointed with which ever you get. 

[Reply #198 on:]

I saw a small part of "Hippies". It has Paul Whitehouse in it  . Shame it 's on so late around here.

[Reply #199 on:]

I watched The League of Gentlemen Xmas Special last night. Odd, but funny.